Pole and shafts.



H. A. HUNTER.

POLE AND SHAFTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23/1911.

1 ,022,555, Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

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H. A. HUNTERL POLE AND SHAPTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.23, 1911.

1,022,555, Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

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HARRISON A. HUNTER, OF MANKATO, KANSAS.

POLE AND SHAFTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 23, 1911.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

Serial No. 616,317.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRISON A. HUNTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mankato, in the county of Jewell and State of Kansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Poles and Shafts, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in poles and shafts and has for itsleading object the provision of an improved attachment for the runninggear of vehicles which is adapted for use either as a pole or tongue forthe vehicle when two horses are employed to draw the same, or as shaftsfor the vehicles when but a single horse is employed to draw the same.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improvedcombination shaft and tongue for vehicles in which the doubletrees,neck-yoke and other parts employed with the device when used as a tonguewill perform the functions of braces and trees when the device is usedas shafts, whereby all the parts except the tongue .cap plate will bepresent and in use when the device is employed as either tongue orshafts.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a simple andinexpensive attachment for vehicles which can be quickly and easilyadjusted to transform the vehicle from a one-horse to a two-horse drawnvehicle or vice versa.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from thefollowing description taken 1n connection with the accompanyingdrawings, and it will also be understod that I may make any changes inconstruction within the scope of my claims without departing from orexceeding the s irit of the invention.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a vehicle with my device appliedthereto.

Fig. 2 represents a top plan view of my device as it appears when usedas a tongue or carriage pole. Fig. 3 represents a cross sectional viewof the end of the pole and cap therefor on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig.4 represents a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view on the line 44 ofFig. 2. Fig. 5 represents a front view of the yoke which is secured tothe axle with the pole removed. Fig. 6 represents a top plan view of thedevice when used to form shafts for the vehicle. Fig. 7 represents alongitudinal sectional view of the neck yoke bar. Fig. 8 represents afragmentary sectional view on the line 88 of Fig. 6, and Fig. 9represents a fragmentary view of the slotted block and plate supportingthe same.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the front axle having the ears2 to which are pivotally secured by the bolts 3 the bifurcated ends 4 ofthe V-shaped member 5 having secured thereto the curved block 6 havingthe longitudinally extending slot 8 formed therein of key-hole shape incross section, the rear ends of said slot being open. Secured to theunder side of the plate 5 at its front vertex is the brace 11.

When it is desired to employ my device to form the pole or tongue of thevehicle, I engage in the slot 8 the T-shaped plates 12 secured by thebolts 13 to the larger rear end of the half round slightly tapering bars14 which may be formed of hickory or other wood or of metal tubing.Mounted on the outer ends of said bars 14 is the circular metal cap 15having a flange 16 formed thereon to engage the neck yoke center.Passing through the cap 15 and engaged in recesses 17 in the ends of thebars 14 is the securing screw 18.

To retain the inner portions of the bars 14 together I employ theU-plate 19 which is inverted to fit down over the bars 14, whileprojecting upward from the apex of the plate 5 between said bars andthrough the U-plate is the pivot bolt 20 having engaged on its upper endthe bar 21 providing the double-tree for the vehicle, while pivotallysecured by the bolt 22 to each end of the double tree is a half roundswingle tree 23 having its central portion of approximately the sameradius as the larger end of the bar 14.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings, itwill be seen that I have provided a vehicle pole or tongue formed from apair of bars removably attached to the yoke plate 5 and suitably held inengagement with each other at their inner and outer ends, while engagingthe flange 16 is the neck yoke bar 24 having the threaded ends 25 onwhich are engaged the metal balls 26.

When it is desired to change my device to cause the same to provideshafts for the vehicle I remove the cap 15 from the ends of the bars 14and also remove the double tree, the bolt 20, and plate 19. The bars 14are now entirely free of each other and may be laterally shifted in theslot 8. I

then remove the balls 26 from the ends of the neck-yoke bar and screwsaid threaded ends 25 of the bar into the rear portion of the bars 14 toserve as a brace to retain the same in spaced relation to prevent eitherinward or outward movement thereof. To further brace said bars, I removethe swingle tree 23 from the ends of the double tree 21 and resecure thedouble tree to the plate 5 by the bolt 20 and pass the bolts 22 throughthe ends of the bar 21 to secure the bar 21 to the bars 14. The plate 19is reversed and turned at right angles to its former position and restson the bar 21, while engaged between the arms of said plate 19 are thepair of swingle trees 23 which together form a swingle tree for thevehicle, the bolt 20 passing through the openings in which the bolts 22were formally engaged to pivotally secure the swingle trees in position.It will thus be seen that all of the parts with the exception of the capplate 15 are utilized bot-h when the device is employed as a tongue andwhen its component parts form shafts, the shaft bars 14 having theirends 27 threaded to receive the balls 26 when said balls are unscrewedfrom the neck yoke bar 24:.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings theconstruction of my improvement in combined tongue and shaft for vehicleswill be readily understood, and it will be seen that I have provided asimple, durable, eflicient, practical, and highly desirable device ofthis character which can be quickly and readily changed from one form tothe other and which will be securely held in either adjusted position.

I claim:

1. The combination with a vehicle, of a yoke member pivoted to the axlethereof, a slotted block secured to said yoke member, a pair of barseach having a T-plate secured to one end thereof for engagement in theslot in the blocks, a cap mounted on the outer ends of the bars forsecuring the same together, a U-plate engaging the inner ends of thebars for retaining them in engagement, a double tree pivotally supportedby the yoke member above the pair of bars, and half'round swingle treespivotally secured to the outer ends of the double tree.

2. An attachment for vehicles, comprising a yoke member pivotallysecured to the axle of the vehicle, a longitudinally slotted blocksecured to the yoke, half round bars having T-plates secured to theirends, said plates being engaged in the slot, a brace bar having threadedends engaged in the half round bars and connecting the same, a cross barsecured to the yoke, bolts securing the ends of the cross bar to thehalf round bars, said bars having threaded ends of the same diameter asthe threaded ends of the brace bar, a U-plate pivotally supported abovethe cross bar, and a pair of half round members mounted in the U-plateand together forming a swingle tree.

3. An attachment for vehicles, comprising a yoke member pivotallysecured to the front axle, a slotted block secured to the yoke member,half round bars having T- plates secured on their ends, said plates whenengaging in the'slot of the block holding the bars spaced to provideshafts, said bars having outer threaded ends, a yoke bar having threadedends of the same diameter as the ends of the half round bars, said yokebar forming a brace for the shafts and a neck yoke when the shafts areunited to provide a tongue, balls adapted to be engaged on the ends ofthe shafts or the ends of the yoke bar when used as a neck yoke, a crossbar providing a double tree for the tongue or a brace for the shafts,and half round swingle trees adapted to be pivotally supported above thecross bar to form together a unitary swingle tree for the shafts orseparate swingle-trees for the tongue.

4. The combination with a vehicle of convertible shaft and pole memberstherefor, comprising a slotted block supported by the axle of thevehicle, a pair of half round bars having T-shaped plates secured to oneend, said bars having their other ends reduced and threaded, a barhaving threaded ends of the same diameter as the ends of the half roundbars, a cross bar, and a pair of half round swingle trees, whereby thebars form shafts braced by the cross bar and the bar having the threadedends when the T-plates are engaged in the slotted block and the swingletrees together form a swingle tree, and the bars together form a wagonpole when the T-plates are engaged in the center of the slot, the crossbar forming a double tree to bear the swingle trees, and the bar havingthe threaded ends forming a neck yoke, and balls having internallythreaded sockets for engagement upon appropriate exposed threaded endsof the dif ferent bars.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature,'in the presence of twowitnesses.

HARRISON A. HUNTER.

WVitnesses:

JOHN B. ROBINSON, CLAUD WV. BROWN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained or five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patent? Washington, D. G.

